[Geno Prussakov]

Guys & gals,

Please tell me what you think is better: a T-shirt for $24.95 with a free shipping, or a T-shirt for $17.52 with a $6-7 shipping? Look at it from a buyer's point of view, please... Or - if we were talking fur hats, for example - the choice would be: a cozy Russian fur hat with earflaps for $58.49 with a free shipping, or for $47.87 with about a $10 shipping.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Thanks,

Geno

[lstolze]

Geno,

I'm an online shopping NUT! I would ALWAYS go for free shipping. I think that would be best for RL. While I do comparison shop for very generic types of items, and weigh the cost with shipping, then buying the cheaper one whether it include free shipping or not, I will always jump for FS on something not so generic. If I see something I like that I know I can't just get anywhere, I usually search high and low for fs coupons for that merchant.

Maybe that's just me though. :)

~Lisa~

[MichaelColey]

Free shipping is a huge selling factor, but when the price is going to be $25 either way, that's pretty steep for a t-shirt. You can find printed t-shirts from street vendors in many bigger cities (NY and DC come to mind) for $1-$3 each. Even more expensive places are usually $10 to $15.

[lstolze]

I understand Michael's point, but I wonder if you've checked the prices of novelty tees at some of the more popular stores...? Around $20 is about right. PacSun, Macys, Cafe Press, Ron Jon's, H&M, etc. are all $15 - $25 for a tee. Heck, even Old Navy tees are about $15 when they aren't on sale. I think for the specialized tees at RL, the prices aren't that steep.

[Geno Prussakov]

...While I do comparison shop for very generic types of items, and weigh the cost with shipping, then buying the cheaper one whether it include free shipping or not, I will always jump for FS on something not so generic...

So, suppose, you do decide to do comparison shopping for this doll:

http://www.russianlegacy.com/catalog/images/thumbs/matryoshka_traditional/ND001.jpg

Some of our competitors offer it at $19.99, while there are some that offer it at $12.00. We sell it for $18.95 + FREE shipping. Is this worse than $12 with $6-7 shipping, in your oppinion (even from the first glance)?

Geno

[Neil]

for $1-$3 each. Even more expensive places are usually $10 to $15.
Mr C.
can you nip out onto the street and get me 100X $3 tee shirts.
please.
thats bloody cheap !!..

[lstolze]

Well, without knowing what stores come up in the comparison check (I tried to run one which didn't come up with a good spread), I would have to say that since the $12 one still adds shipping to almost the same price as RL, I would then choose based on the store itself. When I run searches for some of these items, I get many shops that I wouldn't give the time of day to, even if they were 90% cheaper than the others. At this point you need to ensure you offer a perceived value that transcends this $12 hack. At first glance (and I'm not saying this as an affiliate, but a shopper) your site is not only well designed, but informative, and takes that extra step to fully describe the products. My biggest pet peeve with many of the Yahoo stores for example, is these people throw up stores and say "Purple widgets - $5.88". Okay...where are these widgets made? What are the dimensions? Are they machine or hand made? Well, you get my drift. I came up with one other store selling dolls kind of like yours, and cheaper, but no info. For all I know, the set they have are the size of my thumb. Not really saving anything if I want a nice full size set for my curio cabinet, am I? And what's with the crappy website? I'd be afraid to give such an unprofessional site my CC card number....

Anyway, sorry for the rant, just trying to make the point that the free shipping, with a professionally run site like yours, would be the better draw, even if someone needs to spend a buck or two more.

[Geno Prussakov]

Free shipping is a huge selling factor, but when the price is going to be $25 either way, that's pretty steep for a t-shirt. You can find printed t-shirts from street vendors in many bigger cities (NY and DC come to mind) for $1-$3 each. Even more expensive places are usually $10 to $15.

We have people writing to us that the saw these T-shirts at Arbat in Moscow at 10-15 bucks. I wish I could tell them straightforwardly: "Well... If you think this is better than what we offer, why don't you go back to Arbat and buy yourself a couple of these? Only remember that a round-trip ticket from anywhere in the US to Moscow is never cheaper than $800"...

Geno

[lstolze]

It's a good indication that your tee prices aren't that far off considering the "Aeroflot" tee is on ebay for almost $14 and then there is $6 shipping. RL is a little higher, yes, but some people still prefer to shop specialty stuff like this through a specialty store, and not on an auction where they don't know the history of the product.

[Ebudae]

We have people writing to us that the saw these T-shirts at Arbat in Moscow at 10-15 bucks. I wish I could tell them straightforwardly: "Well... If you think this is better than what we offer, why don't you go back to Arbat and buy yourself a couple of these? Only remember that a round-trip ticket from anywhere in the US to Moscow is never cheaper than $800"...

Geno

lol, why not say something like that on your site.

Something to the effect of - our prices reflect the import fees etc.. yes, you can get them a little cheaper here. If you get the chance to come to Russia to go shopping, be sure and stop by, we would love to see you.

[Ebudae]

The problem with T-shirts is that is a common item. We went to the flea market this weekend and got quite a few for the boys at 7 for $10. They were nice, lots of styles, patterns and colors.

[MichaelColey]

Mr C.
can you nip out onto the street and get me 100X $3 tee shirts.
please.
thats bloody cheap !!..Search for "custom t-shirts" on eBay and you'll find some. I just searched and found 100 custom-printed t-shirts for $295.

[Neil]

I just searched and found 100 custom-printed t-shirts for $295.

can i have what i want on them.
or do they have to say...
Edna`s 24hr laundry service .

[MichaelColey]

With the ones on eBay, you can give them your own design. It may be limited to one color or something. (I saw full color ones on there for about $5/each in quantity.) I'm sure they can be found even cheaper (probably in much larger quantities), otherwise people wouldn't be able to sell them 7 for $10 (with preprinted designs) like Ebudae found. I think I've seen them as cheap as 10 for $10 in NY.

[Geno Prussakov]

I'd appreciate coming back to my topic.

And oh, by the way, if you want to talk 10 at $10 each, I can do it on the $24.95 ones.

Geno

[Nancy FSO]

When we have tested price with free shippin versus lower cost plus a shipping fee, free shipping always wins! The customer has two many things to figure out and add up. Can you test or would your clients be willing to test different links with the different price points?

[Haiko de Poel, Jr.]

Free Shipping always wins, but ... beware educated consumers with CC in hand or card number memorized because they will look at your competition and compute the difference in shipping charge like so ...

Example:
=======
3 tshirts with Free Shipping - $75
Shipping separate - 3 tshirts $53+Let's say $12 shipping = $65 (I just saved $10 and you lost a sale.

Get the point?

[Nancy FSO]

I agree with what you are saying-I am always computing the better deal, and will search site to site to get it. However, you and I are not the average customer. Perhaps I should qualify the following:

-testing house email list constantly
-two offers; different subject line
-same open rate within 1/2%
-same CTR
-higher conversion and units per order with free shipping

I suppose it is harder to test if you are having links only lead to offer.

[Chocolate_Chicken]

Balance your price so it's a bit higher than your low price point, but lower than your "with free shipping" price.

Offer free shipping with a set order minimum (maybe $50 or so, depending on what is feasible). This will allow you to absorb shipping costs on orders where it is economically feasible to do so, and you make higher profit on the smaller orders which shipping charges will be applied to.

[Nancy FSO]

As an affiliate, the free shipping model with x order amount is nice, rather than free shipping on any order amount. Get the higher order value up while not cutting into commission. Then if free shipping is offered, everyone wins with the higher avg order value, and free shipping is not such a big deal to the merchant-depending in the actual shipping amount. Ours shipping is low enough where either scenario is not a big issue.

[Geno Prussakov]

As an affiliate, the free shipping model with x order amount is nice, rather than free shipping on any order amount. Get the higher order value up while not cutting into commission. Then if free shipping is offered, everyone wins with the higher avg order value...

Allow me to jump in here and tell you this: any affiliate wins more than anyone on a free-shipping-on-all-orders scheme. Why? Because if the customer does not want 3 or 5 or 10 T-shirts and buys only 1 anyway, the affiliate essentially (in actual reality!) gets the commission for both the product cost and the shipping cost (as it it imbedded into the cost of the product in the first place) regardless of the amount spent by his customer.

Geno

[Geno Prussakov]

Free Shipping always wins, but ... beware educated consumers with CC in hand or card number memorized because they will look at your competition and compute the difference in shipping charge like so ...

Example:
=======
3 tshirts with Free Shipping - $75
Shipping separate - 3 tshirts $53+Let's say $12 shipping = $65 (I just saved $10 and you lost a sale.

Get the point?

No. Because when I intially said that the choice is b/w "a T-shirt for $24.95 with a free shipping, or a T-shirt for $17.52 with a $6-7 shipping", I meant what we can offer.

Why then "you lost a sale" when I'm essentially asking you if you believe that $17.52*3+$10 is better than $24.95*3 ?

I guess, the compromise solution would then be: BUY 2, GET 3RD HALF-PRICE, and still give 'em the free shipping...

Geno

[MichaelColey]

I would have to agree about the free shipping above a reasonable threshold. It helps increase the average order size. Whenever I order something small from Amazon.com, I always buy enough other things to get above $25 for free shipping. (Of course it's much easier to find other things I could use at Amazon.com than at most other stores.)

Oh, and when I said 10 for $10, I meant $1 each, not $10 each.

[MichaelColey]

I guess, the compromise solution would then be: BUY 2, GET 3RD HALF-PRICE, and still give 'em the free shipping...Egads, no! Keep it simple. People are very bad at math and won't buy if you confuse them with fractions and complicated deals. (Yeah, I know it's not very complicated to you and me, but we're not average shoppers!)

[Geno Prussakov]

Egads, no! Keep it simple. People are very bad at math and won't buy if you confuse them with fractions and complicated deals...

:) :) :) :) :)